The Beasts We Bury by D.L. Taylor

The quick cut: A girl who is next in line to rule yearns for her life to be peaceful. Chaos ensues when she takes steps towards making that happen. 

A real review: 

 Magic may feel like something that could solve all your problems, but what if it created new ones? This is a reality for Mancella. 

 Mancella is the heir to the throne and known for her magical power: the ability to summon animals after killing them with her bare hands. Its an ability that her father has cultivated throughout the years, forcing her to kill a new creature every year. She'd do anything to stop the violence. Will ending her father's terror start a new problem though? 

 This book is so dark on so many levels, to the point where it doesn't feel young adult appropriate. The violence and terror are a core part of the plot, so I can't imagine letting an actual teenager read this. 

  I feel terrible for what Mancella goes through because it's abuse on both a mental and physical level. That being said, I seriously doubt that she'd be the way she is in the book with the past she experienced. It's that element that makes the story less than immersive. 

 If there was anything I would change, it would be giving Mancella a reason to trust. Considering what she's been through, that's the part that makes the story problematic. With that, it could've been better. 

A dark fantasy story filled with violence. 

My rating: 3.75 out of 5